JPH11144158A - Message display system and its display method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a message display system which shows a message to a customer from a third person on a POS terminal and its display method. SOLUTION: This system inputs the ID card number of a receiver from a telephone set 6 and inputs a message. A host computer 5 records the message on a database 15. Next, message information is downloaded from the computer 5 to a POS terminal 1. The message is shown on a display 2 on a customer side of the terminal 1 based on the ID card number that is read by an ID card reader 4. It is also possible to print by a receipt printer 3 when the customer requests.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a message display system and a display method thereof, and more particularly to a message display system using a customer display of a point-of-sale (POS) system and a display method thereof.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art POS systems have been widely used in supermarkets and convenience stores. Conventional methods of using the POS terminal customer display (display portion visible to the customer) include display of sales details, advertisement (see, for example, JP-A-1-321560), and information display on the store side such as the state of the POS terminal. , But not used by the customer.

The contents of communication between the host computer and the POS are mostly sales data of stores and merchandise information (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-274505). It was not a system that could send and receive messages. Further, the customer information managed by the ID card is not used for adding or reading information from the customer side, but is used only on the store side.

[0004]

Normally, when it is desired to send information to a person at a remote place while moving, information is exchanged with the other party using a mobile communication device or an answering machine. There is a problem that the sender or receiver of information needs to have a specific terminal device. That is, although the mobile communication terminal and the like are increasing in penetration rate, they are not yet general communication terminals.

[0005] In recent years, there are many convenience stores and the like that are being developed nationwide, and the POS terminals of each store are connected to stores nationwide by a general public line or a dedicated line mainly through a host computer, even though the POS terminal is connected to the store. There is a problem that services and the like are not provided by the construction of a system for transmitting information by a base or a customer display and making the display capability available to the customer side. That is, no service has been constructed in which the customer uses the communication infrastructure such as a convenience store.

An object of the present invention is to provide a message display system for displaying a message from a third party to a customer on a display of a POS terminal, and a display method therefor.

[0007]

A message display system according to the present invention displays message information from a third party sender to a customer who is a recipient on a POS terminal connected to a host computer by a public line or a dedicated line. A message display system that stores the message information corresponding to the receiver's ID card number from the sender in the host computer and the message information in the POS terminal. A second message storage unit that reads the message information corresponding to the recipient's ID card number from the first message storage unit when the recipient's ID card number is read by the POS terminal. Message download means for downloading to the message storage means; and displaying the downloaded message information on a display of the POS terminal. Characterized in that it comprises a message display means for.

[0008] A message display method according to the present invention is a method for displaying a message on a PC connected to a host computer via a public line or a dedicated line.
A message display method for displaying message information from a third party sender on an OS terminal to a customer who is a recipient, wherein the sender sends to the host computer via a public line a character corresponding to the ID card number of the recipient. Storing the encoded message information; and requesting the host computer to download the message information corresponding to the recipient ID card number when the POS terminal reads the recipient ID card number. And if the message information corresponding to the recipient's ID card number is present, downloads the message information to the POS terminal and erases the message information stored in the host computer after a predetermined time And the message information corresponding to the recipient's ID card number is invalid. Notifying the POS terminal that it is absent when present; storing the downloaded message information temporarily until the POS terminal completes displaying the message information; Displaying on a customer display or printing and displaying on a receipt printer.

The operation of the present invention is as follows. For example, a host computer of a convenience store or the like that operates nationwide is provided with a function of inputting a message to the ID card number of the receiver of the message using a telephone or the like. By reading the message at the terminal, the message input to each personal ID number can be downloaded from the host computer via a general public line or a dedicated line, and can be displayed on the customer display of the POS terminal and printed by the receipt printer. I do.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of a message display system according to the present invention. In FIG. 1, a POS system related to the present invention includes a POS terminal 1 serving as a main body, a customer display 2 for displaying a transaction result and a message to a customer, a receipt printer 3 for printing a receipt and a message, and reading a customer ID card. It comprises an ID card reader 4, a host computer 5 connected to a POS terminal by a public line or a dedicated line, and a telephone 6 connected by a public line to which a message sender 8 inputs a message.

The POS terminal 1 temporarily stores a line connection board 11 connected to a public line or a dedicated line, a computer (CPU) 14 for controlling the entire POS terminal 1, messages, and the like, and also stores an operation program of the CPU 14. The storage device 13 is included. Further, the host computer 5 includes a database 15 for storing the ID card number of the customer, message contents, and an operation program of the host computer 5.

The operation of the embodiment of the present invention is as follows. First, in FIG.
The sender 8 inputs the ID card number of the receiver 9 to the host computer 5 through the telephone 6. Subsequently, a message is input, and the content of the message is converted into a character code and input by the telephone 6. The host computer 5 sends the specified I
The character code of the message is directly recorded in the database 15 for the D card number.

Next, when downloading the message information from the host computer 5 to the POS terminal 1, the recipient 9 operates the ID card reader 4 of the POS terminal 1 as shown in FIG.
Then, by reading the ID card, the message information corresponding to the customer's own ID card number stored in the host computer 5 is downloaded from the database 15 to the POS terminal 1.

At this time, if the operation is such that the message information exceeds the storage capacity of the POS terminal 1, a host device (store controller or the like) 7 of the POS terminal 1 is connected between the host computer 5 and the POS terminal 1. The message information may be relayed and temporarily downloaded to the host device 7. Further, the read message is automatically deleted from the host computer 5 after a predetermined time.

Further, regarding the display of a message on the POS terminal 1, as shown in FIG.
From the storage device 13 of the OS terminal 1 (or the storage device of the host device 7) via the CPU (OS; operation software, AP; operated by an application program) 14, the display data of the display 2 and the receipt printer are converted from the character code. 3 print data.

The converted data is stored in the customer 9 of the POS terminal 1.
Side display (LCD; liquid crystal display, or F
IP: fluorescent display panel). When the customer 9 requests, printing on the receipt printer 3 is also enabled.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail. An explanation flow is shown in FIGS. PO
The connection between the S terminal 1 and the host computer 5 and between the message sender (telephone) 6 and the host computer 5 are connected by a general public line or a dedicated line. The POS terminal 1 is equipped with a customer display 2, an ID card reader 4, and a receipt printer 3 in order to realize a message service.

For inputting a message to the host computer, in FIG.
Make a call (steps 21 and 22). Next, the sender 8 inputs the ID card number of the recipient 9 (steps 23 and 24). Continue to input message contents (Step 2
5). The method of inputting characters and symbols (conversion codes, etc.) is determined for each system. The host computer 5 stores the message information in the specified ID card number in the database 15 (step 26).

As for downloading of message information to the POS terminal 1, in FIG. 6, the POS terminal 1 enters a message system use state by input from the keyboard 12 or the like (step 27). The ID card of the recipient 9 is read by the ID card reader 4 (step 28). The POS terminal 1 analyzes the message content of the ID card, and requests the host computer 5 to transmit a message corresponding to the target ID card number through the line (step 29).

The host computer 5 has a database 15
Is searched (step 30). If there is a message, the message is transmitted to the POS terminal 1 via a line (step 31). If there is no message, "no message" is transmitted to the POS terminal 1 and the flow ends. The POS terminal 1 temporarily stores the downloaded message information in its own storage device 13 (or the host device 7) (step 3).
2).

In the case where a message is displayed on the customer display 2, the message information is converted into data that can be displayed on the customer display 2 in FIG. 7 (step 33) and displayed on the customer display 2 as a message (step 34). , 35). By pressing a preset print key, the message information is converted into stamp data (step 37), and printing can be performed by the receipt printer 3 (step 38).

The already read message information in the host computer 5 is automatically discarded. In addition, when charging for this service, if a credit card function is added to the ID card, it is possible to automatically settle the account when using the service (step 36).

Further, regarding another embodiment of the present invention,
As shown in FIG. 4, the display of the message can be printed not on the customer display 2 but on the receipt printer 3. This is realized by converting the message information downloaded from the host computer 5 into print data.

[0025]

As described above, according to the present invention, as long as neither the sender nor the receiver of a message has a specific terminal and an ID card, a POS such as a convenience store can be used.
There is an effect that it is possible to receive a message addressed to the user using a terminal. That is, the communication infrastructure of the POS terminal can be used.

Further, the sender of the message only has to input the message information to the host computer by telephone, and the receiver of the message can receive the message at a convenience store or the like. effective. That is, in recent years, convenience stores have been nationwide.

Further, by using this service,
It also has the effect of increasing the ability of convenience stores to attract customers.
That is, once the use is started, a plurality of uses can be expected.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a method of inputting a message to a host computer.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of downloading message information from a host computer to a POS terminal.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of displaying a message on a POS terminal.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a method of inputting a message to a host computer.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of downloading message information from a host computer to a POS terminal.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of displaying a message on a POS terminal.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 POS Terminal 2 Customer Display 3 Receipt Printer 4 ID Card Reader 5 Host Computer 6 Telephone 11 Line Connection Board 13 Storage Device 14 CPU 15 Database

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A message display system for displaying message information from a third party sender to a customer who is a recipient on a POS terminal connected to a host computer by a public line or a dedicated line. First message storage means for storing the ID information of the receiver from the sender and the corresponding message information;
Second message storing means for storing the message information in the S terminal; and when the ID card number of the recipient is read by the POS terminal, the message information corresponding to the ID card number of the recipient is stored in the first terminal. Message download means for downloading from the message storage means to the second message storage means; and transmitting the downloaded message information to the POS
Message display means for displaying a message on a display of a terminal. 2. The message display system according to claim 1, further comprising message print output means for printing and outputting said message information to a receipt printer. 3. The message display system according to claim 1, wherein said message information is stored in said first and second message storage means in the form of a character code. 4. A message display method for displaying message information from a third-party sender to a customer who is a recipient on a POS terminal connected to a host computer by a public line or a dedicated line. Storing the recipient's ID card number and the corresponding coded message information in the host computer through a public line; and transmitting the recipient's ID card number to the host computer when the POS terminal reads the recipient's ID card number. Requesting a download of the message information corresponding to the recipient's ID card number, and, if the message information corresponding to the recipient's ID card number exists, downloading the message information to the POS terminal; After a certain period of time, the message information stored in the host computer is Erasing, notifying the POS terminal that the message information corresponding to the recipient's ID card number is absent when the message information is not present, and displaying the downloaded message information by the POS terminal. Temporarily storing until is completed;
Displaying the downloaded message information on a customer display or printing and displaying the message information on a receipt printer.